Unlike the gig drivers and contractor companies behind most delivery vans these days, the person who hit you in a UPS truck almost certainly works directly for UPS. That’s actually good news for your claim. George Salinas Injury Lawyers handles Austin UPS accident cases in English or Spanish, with no fee unless we win.
Call (512) 851-1004. Available 24/7 to talk to an Austin UPS accident lawyer about your case.
Resources On This Page
- Do You Need a Lawyer After Being Hit by a UPS Vehicle?
- Does the UPS Driver Work for UPS, or for a Contractor?
- UPS Package Cars Are Bigger Than You’d Think
- What If You Were Hit by a “UPS Freight” Truck?
- Compensation You Can Recover After a UPS Accident
- The Cost of Hiring an Austin UPS Accident Lawyer
- How Long Do You Have to File a Claim in Texas?
- What to Do After a Crash With a UPS Vehicle
- Why Austin Trusts George Salinas Injury Lawyers With UPS Cases
- Ask George Salinas Injury Lawyers
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Schedule Your Free Consultation
Do You Need a Lawyer After Being Hit by a UPS Vehicle?
Yes, even though these cases are often more straightforward than other delivery accident claims. Knowing who’s responsible doesn’t mean UPS’s insurer will offer what your case is actually worth. Most of the real fight happens over the value of your injuries, not who caused them.
Does the UPS Driver Work for UPS, or for a Contractor?
Almost always, UPS. UPS package car drivers are direct company employees, most of them represented by the Teamsters union under the largest private-sector labor contract in North America. That’s a real difference from Amazon and FedEx Ground, where the driver usually works for a separate contractor company instead.
There’s one notable exception. UPS owns a subsidiary called Roadie that uses independent contractors driving their own personal vehicles for same-day deliveries. If a Roadie driver hit you, the liability picture looks more like a gig-economy case than a typical UPS claim.
UPS Package Cars Are Bigger Than You’d Think
The classic brown UPS package car is built on a chassis that often weighs 16,000 to 19,500 pounds fully rated, well above the 10,001-pound threshold where federal commercial vehicle rules start to apply.
That’s heavier than the smaller delivery vans Amazon and FedEx typically use. It still doesn’t require the driver to hold a commercial driver’s license, since that requirement starts at 26,001 pounds, but it does mean baseline federal safety standards are more likely to apply to a UPS crash than to a smaller delivery van crash.
What If You Were Hit by a “UPS Freight” Truck?
Probably not a UPS problem anymore. UPS sold its UPS Freight division, the large tractor-trailers that moved freight between distribution centers, to a company called TFI International in 2021.
That business now operates independently as TForce Freight. If a freight truck with old UPS Freight branding hit you, the company actually responsible may not be UPS at all. Our Austin 18-wheeler page covers that situation while we sort out who really owns the truck.
Not sure who’s actually responsible for your crash? Call (512) 851-1004 and we’ll help you find out, free of charge.
Compensation You Can Recover After a UPS Accident
A successful claim can cover both your immediate costs and the harder to measure parts of your recovery. This typically includes:
- Medical bills, including emergency care, surgery, and rehabilitation
- Future medical costs for a permanent or long-term injury
- Lost wages and any long-term loss of earning capacity
- Pain and suffering and emotional distress
Because UPS itself is usually the direct employer, its own corporate insurance is typically the primary source of recovery from the start, rather than something you have to fight to reach.
The Cost of Hiring an Austin UPS Accident Lawyer
Nothing upfront. We handle these cases on a contingency fee, which means you pay no attorney’s fees unless we recover compensation for you. Your initial consultation is free, with no obligation to hire us afterward.
How Long Do You Have to File a Claim in Texas?
Texas generally gives you two years from the date of the crash to file a personal injury lawsuit. Acting promptly still matters for preserving evidence like onboard telematics data and dispatch records, even in a case where liability looks fairly clear early on.
What to Do After a Crash With a UPS Vehicle
What you do in the first hours and days can affect both your health and your claim. Here’s what matters most:
- Get medical care right away, even if you feel mostly fine.
- Call the police so a crash report gets filed.
- Photograph the truck, including any visible markings, the license plate, and any unit number.
- Get the names and contact information of any witnesses.
- Avoid giving a recorded statement to UPS’s insurer before talking to a lawyer.
Why Austin Trusts George Salinas Injury Lawyers With UPS Cases
When a massive UPS truck causes a life-changing accident, you need a firm that knows how to secure evidence—like black-box data and logs—before it vanishes.
- The Insider’s Advantage: Having represented insurance companies, we know the “tricks” used to dodge liability. We preempt these tactics from Day 1 to protect your compensation.
- Proven Results: Our firm has over 110 years of combined legal experience and has secured over $100 million for our clients. We build real damage models, not estimates.
- Trial-Ready Authority: As an ABOTA member, George Salinas ensures your case is prepared with the level of scrutiny required for elite courtroom results.
- Local Insight & 24/7 Service: We understand Austin’s unique traffic realities and are available 24/7 to ensure your evidence is preserved.
We speak English and Spanish and work your case directly.
Meet Our Top-Rated Austin UPS Accident Attorneys
Ask George Salinas Injury Lawyers
Q: What if the UPS driver was working overtime or rushing to finish a route?
A: That can still matter, even in a case where UPS is clearly the employer. Evidence that a driver was fatigued or under pressure to finish a route can support a larger claim, since it points to a working condition UPS itself created.
Q: What if I can’t tell whether it was a UPS employee or a Roadie driver?
A: That’s not something you need to sort out yourself. The vehicle, any visible branding, and delivery tracking records can usually identify which one was involved, even if the driver didn’t say.
Q: Does it matter that UPS package cars are bigger than Amazon or FedEx delivery vans?
A: It can. The added weight means more force in a collision, and it can also mean different federal recordkeeping and inspection standards apply, both of which are relevant to how the case gets investigated and valued.
Q: Can I still sue UPS if the driver says they were following procedure?
A: Yes. Following company procedure doesn’t automatically mean the driver, or UPS’s procedures themselves, met the standard of reasonable care. Sometimes the procedure itself is part of what caused the crash.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if I was hit by a Roadie driver using their own car?
You can still pursue a claim, but it works more like a gig-economy case than a standard UPS claim, since Roadie drivers are independent contractors using personal vehicles rather than UPS employees.
Will UPS try to settle quickly?
Sometimes, especially in cases where liability is clear and the company wants to resolve things before you know the full extent of your injuries. It’s worth talking to a lawyer before accepting anything.
What if I was found partially at fault for the crash?
You can still recover compensation as long as you’re found 50% or less at fault, though your payout is reduced by your percentage of responsibility. For example, $300,000 in damages with 15% fault assigned to you would reduce your recovery to $255,000.
Will my case go to trial?
Most claims settle before trial, but we prepare every case as though it’s headed to a jury. That preparation is often exactly what convinces a company to offer a fair settlement instead of risking a verdict.
Schedule Your Free Consultation
If a UPS vehicle left you hurt in Austin, you deserve a settlement that reflects your actual injuries, not just a quick check. Call George Salinas Injury Lawyers at (512) 851-1004 for a free consultation in English or Spanish. There’s no fee unless we win.